Desperation

A river flows in thick woods
Heavy water swell the shore
Rushing to make its way to the sea
Drives with it all in it's path.

A bird drifts in the middle of the river
Helplessness is only cry of the bird
Jaws of massive waters tear apart
Desperate to live cries for help

There stood advisers either banks
Cry of help hover the banks of the river
Poor bird scream in desperation
Only to hear you can do it.

Helplessness intensified greatly
Experts advised in vain until the end
Birds anguish increased with despair
Fear covered at the sight of death

Oh, how troubled life of a bird
Worries saddened only the desperate
Helpers helped in lip service
Thence died a lonely death

Struggles of life choke us
Desperation is the only way of life
No one has ample time for others life
Fear will end our life perfectly

Flower of life

Falling in love with a flower
Flower unique among thousands
Whole wide garden with flowers full
One flower is enough worth thousands

Garden full of colours divine
Tapestry of God's design
Kids many yet garden beautiful
Every flower shoes forth it's grandeur

Ambience filled with aroma of scent
Emanating from the divine flowers
Garden one yet scents many
Reliving it's vitality and freshness

Yet I fell in love with one flower
Yet I admired one scent
One flower divine and one scent fresh
Love united my being to one flower

You're that divine flower with love unconditional
Your scent tingled my being
Freshness is hovering my life
You're the flower of my life.

Utopia in dystopia

Thomas More in his famous work Utopia imagined Utopia, a perfect country where no private property, less laws, no adulterers, no slavery and don't punish people with different opinion lest you hear them. People lived in a perfect island. No lawyers needed for people solved their legal issues themselves. Thomas More was a lawyer himself yet he imagined a world without him. Laws should be simpler and people must be able to understand them so they can practice. The bureaucracy that sucks life out of people must be eradicated so that people are not frustrated and hopeless. Every nation must give hope to it's citizens. It's like the policeman help people feel safe and not feel scared. Politicians must help unite the people and not divide. But unfortunately divide is the mantra they utilize so that their selfish motives can be met.

Thomas More also refuted Utopia with dystopia. There is not a single perfect island, where everything and everyone is flawed. Humanity is fallen. The utopian island doesn't exist anymore. It didn't exist in early 16th century when Thomas wrote the book and it doesn't exist even today.

We look for Utopia in a dystopia. In other words we want dream world to unfold to us yet there's no such thing as dream world. Just one policy, live and let others live not lest others live.

Separation of Children

It is heart-wrenching to hear and see how children are separated from their parents on the Southern border of America. The current administration has been heavily criticized and has been deemed it as child abuse in its moral sense. This issue is brutally complicated. It is correct to say, if you breach the law you will be prosecuted and to be prosecuted, children must be taken away from the parent who broke the law, in this case, parents who illegally entered the USA. It is like, if a mother is convicted and sentenced, the child cannot go to jail with her. On another hand, there are thousands of children caged in the processing centres. This is done allegedly to protect the children from perpetrators. The children are assured of better facilities after they have been processed (I don’t like this word). We have witnessed this through newscasts. It is morally incorrect to cage children for two reasons; namely, firstly, children will be left to suffer physically such as cold weather and cleanliness, secondly, the children who are separated from the parents will suffer psychological trauma for the rest of their lives. When children grow up, parents become their moral instructor and a buffer of flight or fight hormone. So, I leave you at this.

But as a Christian, my curiosity was on the justification of this matter. Attorney General Jeff Sessions quoted, ‘obey the government, for God is the one put it there’ (Rom 13:1). Cardinal Dolan disagreed with the AG on this quote from the bible by saying, ‘obey the government laws, if and only the government laws are in conformity with God’s law.’ I wonder how many of us agree with the Cardinal? Pope Francis tweeted, ‘children must be able to play, study and grow in a peaceful environment. Woe to anyone who stifles their joyful impulse to hope.’ What baffled me was how we can filter our views by using fragments of the bible. I am not a bible scholar, but it is important to understand the Bible in its entirety so that we can truly come to believe in our sacred scripture. We need to be on our guard not to be lead astray by anyone by misusing the Bible

. We live in a complicated world where messages of pros and cons are conveyed in one sentence. If we are not careful we might be the soft targets and victims of abuse of power. Let us use the scripture to bring peace and prosperity to humanity which is the key message of the same. Let us shun that brings discord and despair to humanity. Having said this, let us not be numb to the subject matter because any damage to humanity anywhere in the world is the damage to the entire humanity. 

LGBTQ

I have not written anything so far on this topic but I have been pondering and wondering how to put it across what's in my heart. Therefore I came across this shirt conclusion from an article written by Mr Oliver on Daijiworld. It summarises the whole article on homosexuality. Don't ask me whether I am pro or against but I accept every person as they are and not as I want to them to be. Perception is the key in every aspect of our experience. Perception propels us to act in a certain manner in our lives. Our perception is influenced and formed by the external force such as religion, laws, rights, scientific research, history etc. I want to think that every one of us must check our perception before we judge others. When we judge others we project ourselves as perfect beings. I want to believe that no one is perfect except God.

Sex and sexuality are not who we are. “I am gay,” or, “I am straight,” or, “I am bisexual” is not our identity.

We hear friends cheering someone’s homosexuality as “great”. In what way is being gay/lesbian; or, even being straight a great thing? What we do with our bodies is not what defines us. So many have understood this and have embraced a life of celibacy – the saints, the priests, the nuns, and the ‘sanyasis’, while some simply choosing to remain single.

A man could marry a woman who is considered a sex symbol. But, what happens if a few years later an accident puts her in a wheelchair; or, due to an illness, she is not able to give him that “happiness”?

The Bible says God has made us in His image and likeness. It is, therefore, troubling to see human beings using animals to support their sexual behaviour.

Jesus Christ led a perfect life and remained celibate during his earthly sojourn. If our sexuality defined who we are, then He would have entered into some conjugal relationship to demonstrate its absolute essentiality.

Homosexuals can hate God all they want; some can even say that He does not exist, but there is no denying the truth that homosexual behaviour is extremely unsafe and equally dangerous.

As for whether you are a man or a woman, the reality is in your biology. There are an estimated 75-100 trillion cells in a human body; and, the ‘male’ or ‘female’ signature appears in every single cell. The sex of a baby is imprinted in the DNA at the time of conception itself - no technology on Earth can change that. Thoughts, feelings and perceptions are not stamped in the DNA – they develop and constantly change as the child grows.

If you think you are someone you are biologically not, then it has something to do with your perception. There is not a single test to confirm if a boy is actually a girl (or vice versa), except taking the person’s word for it. Even if you were to walk into a police station and tell the cops that you are a murderer; you would be required to prove it. The way things are: feelings cannot change physical reality.

Even after sex-change surgeries, potentially harmful, synthetic hormonal treatments must continue for life. They are a constant reminder that you are trying to become someone you are not. How can you ever get around something that is so logically counter-intuitive?

If an anorexic woman, weighing 35 kilograms walks into a clinic and persistently tells the doctor that she is overweight; the doctor will not put her through liposuction, or weight loss treatment. Similarly, if a girl - suffering from Body Integrity Identity Disorder - walks into a clinic with perfectly functioning legs and insists that those are not her legs and she wants them amputated, the doctor will not oblige her. In both cases, the doctor will recommend the patients for psychotherapy.

However, if an 18-year-old girl, who identifies as a man, persistently tells the same doctor that she needs a double mastectomy; he is required to put her through complex hormonal treatments and transform her surgically.

In all the cases, the conditions are psychological, but miraculously transgenderism is considered a biological condition.

Our perceptions are influenced by our environment and they are in constant flux. That is why it is so critical to apply logical reasoning when making life’s decisions. You may also want to listen to the testimonies of people who have placed their trust in God and rediscovered their true biological self. Even if you don’t believe in a Creator, the problem is solvable with counselling and psychotherapy alone.

Jesus Christ is not against anyone’s happiness and joy. In fact, He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.”

True lasting joy does not come from pleasures outside of God’s will and design. The craving grows as you begin to indulge, but in the end, they leave you empty and frustrated. And, as many have discovered, they come at the cost of pain and suffering. 

CS Lewis (an atheist-turned-Christian) said, “God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

Wisdom

Have you wondered like me what is wisdom? Where does the wisdom come from? There have been many attempts to understand wisdom both at a theoretical and practical level. Either way, humans have ventured to address this virtue or concept by applying the finest mythological and scriptural references. 

I would like to begin with an example what it means to be wise in a real world. A happily married spouse is attracted towards another person, which perfectly normal because of flesh and blood but if the same spouse gives into temptation towards another person, then it will lead to infidelity to one's own loving spouse. This is the recipe for the breakdown in the relationship. 

In the above practical example, we see the dichotomy in a human mind and heart. On the one hand, we have basic human needs which could animalistic or even irrational. This can be detrimental if not executed in a proper manner. This basic human instinct is necessary for the survival of humanity on the face of the Earth. On the other hand, humans have to be rational or act properly in everything that we do. This is the dichotomy and dilemma in humans. We have to wise to make proper and life-giving decisions. These decisions will impact not only loved ones but our own inner life. 

We have our own human will which given and nurtured by various means of formation. Human will is free will but we are expected to tame and direct it in a proper direction. In order to do this, we need an external monitor to match or mismatch our free will. Hence, God's will becomes this external monitor to guide us. The dot that connects the will of God and human will is wisdom. Wisdom requires both, will of God and human will. If we separate these two, we might either become eccentric or narcissist. 

In this contemporary world, we are faced with a new reality of separation of the will of God and human will. This separation leads to unwise decisions which then leads the world into delusion and disaster. It is absolutely crucial to connect the two so that we can decide with wisdom. I called it as the will of God because of I am a spiritual person but for those of you don't want to associate with God, you can just apply conscience as the will of God. I believe that conscience is the sanctuary of rational and proper will.

Democracy in India

The nations have been driven by a non-existent vehicle called Democracy. There’s an inevitable reality of divide and rule in any given democracy. Democracy has become a mantra for the powerful to achieve the agenda that ensembles one’s whims. I have found difficult to believe in democracy. I beg to differ in my view on democracy. Democracy is actually and truly a dividing factor. It leads us to believe that everyone is equal in a democracy. My argument is no alien to any leading political thinkers and is neither foreign to any politicians. Every politician knows exactly that democracy is just a concept that is used to divide to rule so their dishonest agenda could be met.

In recent times political situations throughout the world have shown us that the powerful and big mouthed political party or politician wins the race under the shade of democracy. It’s really an irony that democracy is divisive and fulfils the agenda of the powerful. It is a domination over powerless. I would not hesitate to say that democracy is but domination. It could be called the largest domination country in the world. The United States of America has been the strongest witness when the current president won the election but not by popular vote. In India, it has been a trend for the longest time that big gab can win the elections and indeed under the banner of democracy.

I would like to focus on Indian political situation after the independence. India has been portrayed as the largest democracy in the world. Why has it been called with such an honourable title when India has failed to witness that in reality? I am not pointing my index-finger at any particular party. But I argue that this is only a pretence under which Indian political parties enjoy the ride. What goes for one must go for all. Don’t deduct that I am anti-BJP or anti-Congress as a Christian. That would be immature of a balanced view. I truly believe that I am an Indian and I pledge by the tricolour and I am proud of my anthem. One thing I cherish from my childhood is the national anthem that we sang two times a day during the school days; mind you I went to a Catholic School. My love for the country was nourished right from my early childhood so is yours.

Democracy has been adulterated by conceit and egotism of a few influential people who invariably use the Democratic process to achieve hidden agenda. The people who jump on the bandwagon have been like people in Plato's cave. They break open the chains to see the reality outside the cave. Formerly, they thought the cave and shadows protruding in the cave was their reality. The ego and pride of the influential are fed with some realities like religion which has nothing or very little to do with politics. It has been baffling to witness how religion has become so crucial to Indian politics. For every politician, religion is the point of departure and a perfect entry into success because religion is divisive. The politicians like to feed on something that helps them to climb the nasty ladder. I was deeply disturbed and deeply concerned at how the sheepfold or followers of different religions have taken advantage of the faith to entertain the political gimmicks. There is an attitude of hatred towards others purely based on religious beliefs.

If Hindus think that they are the majority in India and it’s a Hindu nation, I am certain that the party they support will certainly win for the rest of the existence of India although it might not be Hindu state because I believe that Hinduism is a way of life; a life of prosperity and harmony. Hinduism must help everyone to live a life of integrity. If Muslims and Christians think that they need to come together to oust another party so that India is truly a multi-religious nation, I think we are heading towards hating Hindus. Let us not be fooled by the rhetoric that it is a complicated issue. No, it is not complicated issue rather it is truly a simple gamut. Think of your school days or think of the village that you lived where Hindus, Muslims and Christians lived together almost as a family. Why is that sentiment from school or village is messed with hatred? Isn’t it the politicians and party workers divide us so that they achieve their goals of success. This success that they look for is not for the development of the nation rather it is the success of their own development. Each of us needs to reflect on where we are heading with this kind of political disasters. We must not allow democracy to die in the hands of the powerful dictators.

The democracy that is not popular is a dictatorship. Recent elections in Venezuela where Maduro has shown that democracy is a dictatorship because he has proved that he is indispensable. He has the complete autonomy to choose and elect himself for democracy has failed. It might seem like a democratic election. I wish this doesn’t happen to India. This could be a possibility if people think that the leaders they adore are indispensable and cannot be changed. In which case, the political leaders will go to any extreme to come to power, extremes such as manipulation and rigging of elections. This detrimental to the well being of a Nation. If BJP or Congress thinks that only they can save the country, they are wrong and we have guard against these political tantrums which are for the gain of a select few.

Religion without humanity is legion; a legion of evil people who want to bring discord among different faiths. Humanity should be the culmination of any religion. Honestly speaking, the people who spew hatred towards others religions by saying that their true religion or this nation belongs to that religion, I am certain that they have no knowledge and experience of God in their religion. In other words, they know very little about their own religion. We must be able to challenge them to study to know and experience the beauty and goodness in their own religion. No religion teaches us to hate other religion. But it seems like humanity is kept out of the equation. I am a Christian but I try to draw inspiration from other religions because they offer meaning to my life. Religion is a way to God and not God himself so let’s get it right now before it’s too late. God is in every religion and every religion must indicate a pathway to God.

In conclusion, I want to mention that I grew up as a small boy watching the great epic “Mahabharata” on Door Darshan channel in late 80’s. We didn’t have television at home so our church priest used to show on his television. I never considered it as something only Hindus must watch but it was a great experience to watch one of greatest epics of India. In Mahabharata, there’s reference to Bharatvarsa in which Bharata tribe lived with the same plurality of caste, religion, culture, language and lifestyle like today’s India. This is why India is called Bharath. So, when we utter the chant “Bharath Matha Ki Jai”, let us keep the plurality at the forefront. This is why India is considered to be the greatest nation on the planet with it’s diversity in every regard. I grew up learning Tulu language which is predominantly spoken by Hindus and I am proud of it. This doesn’t mean that I give up on my mother tongue, Konkani. These two languages along with Kannada gives me a specific identity as an Indian. I appeal to everyone, especially our political leaders to work for unity and respect for each other’s beliefs. Let us bring humanity back to our religions. Let the democracy enjoy its sanctity. Let us pay heed to the silent scream of democracy and reach out to keep it sacred.

Church for the well-dressed?

Jesus welcomed everyone into his fold. He welcomed sinners, wounded, sick, poor, rich, and so on. Does our Church welcome any kinds of people? I suppose ideally most of us would agree that we welcome everyone into our churches. Let us imagine that a beggar who is bruised, smelly and half-awake from his night's ordeal of sleeping on the pavement walks into our church. If such person sits next to on the pew, almost in contact with our formal and scented costume, how do I react? Do I welcome him with a smile or do I slowly switch pew? Can I be comfortable to sit with him for the next one hour? 

I went to a certain church which was filled with the aroma of the incense and the faithful dressed in their Sunday best and dapper. Everyone was so much filled with the spirit of worship with some of the fine musicians in action. As the service progressed, a man wheeled in on his wheelchair. There hung on his wheelchair many plastic bags. He seemed mentally sound and came to praise God just like anyone of us. He was trying to wheel himself to the front of the church at which point ushers with beautifully decorated sashes intervened his procession and was taken out of the church. As he was wheeled out of the church, he looked upset, but I witnessed sad eyes. His right to worship was denied by so-called righteous faithful in the church. 

Another incident happened when I was preaching in certain church. I was full of spirit as I preached on the Gospel. Suddenly, there appeared a man haphazardly dressed and was nearly high with alcohol. I was stunned as he made his way right towards the pulpit. I was not petrified but I was apprehensive that he might interrupt the service. Someone from the congregation wanted to yield him out of the church but I asked him to let the man in the church. He interrupted my preaching but when he realized that I was not reacting harshly but only look at him with pity and compassion, he remained quiet throughout the service. I am still pondering what would have been going on in his troubled mind when I allowed him to sit in the pew right in front of me. 

Our churches need to open its doors to welcome these kinds of people so that church truly embodies Christ in this world. Christ loved and embraced poor without any inhibition. Humanity is flawed hence we go to church to ask God to help us in our flaws. If we prove to be righteous and better than others, we are hypocrites. Jesus chose flawed Peter to be the foundation of the church. So, flaws in the society must increase the intensity of our preaching and prayer. This way we can truly welcome Jesus into our church. In so far as our church has no poor, ignorant, beggars, smelly people, drunkards, drug addicts, depressed, gays, lesbians and sinners, our church has no Jesus in it. Probably, he is with them on the streets, hospitals, care homes, bars and wherever these flawed people are. Time has come for the church to stop pretending to be the church of the poor and begin to be one. Time is ripe for the church to fill its pews with broken people who are need of God's assistance.